The list of countries contained on that page is listed below
(in alphabetical order). The countries (with their contemporary
names) are listed consecutively from top to the bottom of the Web page, so please
use the up-and-down scroll-bar or click on any one of the countries
listed below. All dates are in a day / month / year format (for example 03/12/1944).

Overview:
In 1932 U.K. formally recognized Iraq's independence, and a
constitutional monarchy was established. However, the British political
and economic influence remained paramount; the former
League of Nations administrators were permitted lucrative oil
extraction concessions as well as the unlimited use of military airfields
at Habbaniya and Shuayba. On 03/04/1941, influenced by pan-Arab
nationalism and resentment of continuous British control, elements
of the Iraqi army staged an initially successful coup d'etat. The
arrival of the Afrika Korps in Libya might have had an accelerating
impact on the decision to start this revolt but it was of little use
to the Axis, since British Commonwealth and Free French forces entered
and occupied the country by 08/06/1941. Thus ultimately the Allies
managed quickly to reassert and even increase their employment of
Iraqi territory as a staging point for further redeployment, and as a
valuable supply base. A few of the coup's key instigators were
captured and promptly executed, and a new Allied-friendly government
was appointed. In 1943 Iraq officially declared war on the Axis;
however, Iraqi armed forces never participated in any operations against
them. In 1945 Iraq was admitted to the U.N.; it is also a
co-founding member of the League of Arab Countries.

Armed Forces:
In the early 1930's the Iraqi armed forces were established and began
to expand steadily thereafter (the first army division was raised
in 1932). In June of 1935, the national parliament ratified a
compulsory military service for all males capable of bearing arms, for
a period of ten years (including 18-24 months of basic service).
At the beginning the army was composed of two infantry divisions,
one independent cavalry brigade, and one independent frontier guards
brigade. In June of 1938 the two army divisions included the following
units: three cavalry regiments, nine batteries of field artillery, six
batteries of mountain artillery, one mechanized battery, 28 infantry
battalions, one motorized machine-gun company, two signal battalions,
one armoured car section, one light tank company, one engineer battalion,
and a small coastal-river flotilla (one royal yacht and a tug on the
Persian Gulf, and four motor patrol boats on Euphrates and Tigris).
In 1939 the number of infantry divisions was doubled to four
(the total number of army personnel increased to 20 000 soldiers and
officers).
By 1941 the armoured and motorized units were
expanded while the army personnel reached the number of 41 000.
The birth of the Iraqi air force took place already in 1931, when
under the guidance and leadership of the British the very first Iraqi
air force wing was created from equipment supplied by the U.K., a
second one followed in 1934. In order to reduce the reliance on
Britain, Iraqi government formed a third air wing in 1937 composed of
Italian-manufactured aircraft. In 1939 the air force was made up of
two army-air cooperation squadrons, one bomber-transport squadron,
one fighter squadron, one communications squadron, one flying
training school, one apprentices training school, and one aeroplane
depot.
By 1940 the Iraqi air force contained
six air wings (planes were primarily of British and U.S. origin).
In 1941, following the
pro-Axis coup, the Iraqi armed forces faced an Allied intervention by
predominantly British Commonwealth troops (mainly East Indians and
Transjordanians); despite heavy numerical superiority and some
meager assistance from the Vichy French in Syria as well as from a few
German transport planes that supplied Iraq with some badly needed
war materiel, the Iraqi armed forces were quickly routed. The Iraqi
air force lost about 20 aircraft in the course of the brief struggle
(out of a total of 56 that Iraq possessed at that time). A peace treaty very favourable to the Allies
was immediately signed in the aftermath, granting the Allies many
extensive concessions (such as the right to garrison the Iraqi
territory, and transport troops across it, as well as to use many
additional airfields). Subsequently, the entire country was occupied by
British Commonwealth units (mostly East Indian, some from India's
autonomous princely states). The size of the Iraqi armed forces was
also drastically reduced.

Overview:
In the first years of the conflict, despite of self-declared
neutrality, Iran fell under a strong influence of Nazi Germany
which aimed at transforming it into a powerbase for German
penetration of Near and Middle East. Shortly after the German
invasion of the Soviet Union, the strategic importance of Iran
rose prominently; subsequently, British Commonwealth (East Indian) and Soviet troops entered
the country (on 25/08/1941) in order to prevent Iran from falling into the Axis
sphere of influence. A small U.S. contingent joined the already
present Allied (British Commonwealth in the south of the country,
and Soviet in the north) occupation forces in 1942. In September of 1941,
following the abdication of Reza Shah, Iran declared war on Nazi
Germany. Afterwards, the Iranian territory was used by the Allies
as a transit route for shipments of supplies to the Soviet Union.
Between 28/11/1943 and 01/12/1943, a conference of the heads of state
of Great Britain, U.S., and Soviet Union took place in Tehran.
Iran is one of the co-founding members of the U.N.

Armed Forces:
By 1937 the Iranian standing army numbered 1 507 officers and 30 872
NCOs and men.
By 1939 the army was composed of nine mixed divisions and five
independent brigades. There was also one independent infantry regiment,
as well as one heavy artillery regiment, one anti-aircraft battalion,
one independent transportation squadron, and an air force component
consisting of three air regiments (200 machines, mostly British-manufactured
Hawkers and De Havillands). The Iranian navy possessed two
sloops, five patrol vessels, and some thugs and motor patrol boats on
the Persian Gulf / Gulf of Oman, in addition to an imperial yacht and
some motor patrol boats for service on the Caspian Sea. Aside from the
yacht all vessels were of Italian origin. The sloops suffered
considerable damage during the Allied intervention in 1941, but were
later repaired and returned to service. In 1940 an independent
mechanized brigade made up of anti-aircraft, tank, and mechanized
infantry regiments came into being. The number of active army
personnel increased to 120 000. All of the armed forces were
dispersed into six military districts. The armed police force fielded
seven independent mixed regiments and 15 mixed battalions that
formed a corps for internal and frontier security duties. During the Allied invasion in late summer of 1941, the
Iranian armed forces offered only minimal resistance and the country
was rapidly overrun and occupied. Afterwards the Iranian armed forces did not play
any combat role during the remaining years of World War II. Major
re-organization efforts of the armed forces started to be implemented
in 1944.

Population: 855 000 (1938). Borders (in 1939) with Palestine and Syria.
It also has access to the Mediterranean Sea.

Area: 10 450 squared kilometers.

Capital City: Beirut

Overview:
Since 23/05/1926, Lebanon was transformed into a constitutional republic
under a French protectorate. In 1936 France concluded with Lebanon a
pact of friendship and alliance, according to which, the French League
of Nations mandate was supposed to expire in 1939. However, France took
advantage of the international situation that occurred in that year to
illegally nullify this agreement. The French commissioner established
martial law, abolished the constitution, and disbanded Lebanese parliament.
The French military initiated the formation of Lebanese units that
were incorporated into the "Levante" Army. Following the capitulation
of France in June of 1940, the local colonial administration became
completely subordinated to the puppet French Vichy regime. An Allied
invasion encountered resistance from local colonial garrisons between
June and July of 1941, but by 14/07/1941, the whole country was
occupied by British and Free French forces. On 26/11/1941 the local
Free French Commander-in-Chief, General R. Catroux, formally confirmed
the recognition of Lebanese independence. On 08/11/1943 the revived
Lebanese parliament passed a resolution that abolished the French
protectorate over the country, a move that met with massive support
from other Arab nations (due to this occurrences the Free French Committee was forced to
officially acknowledge Lebanon's sovereignty on 22/11/1943). On
27/02/1945 Lebanon declared war on Germany and Japan. In 1945 it was
one of the co-founding members of U.N. as well as of the League of Arab
Countries. As a result of the intensifying movement for total
independence of Lebanon, Great Britain and France signed (in December
of 1945) a bilateral agreement according to which both parties
pledged to evacuate all their armed forces from Lebanese soil by the
end of 1946.

Armed Forces: At the start of the war Lebanon
created two infantry battalions (Bataillons de Chasseurs
Libanois) and one cavalry squadron (these units
formed an integral part of the French "Levante" Army that was
stationed in Lebanon and Syria); in 1941
these units participated in military operations against British and
Free French forces while fighting on behalf of the Vichy army.
In the aftermath of Vichy surrender in Lebanon, they were placed under
Free French command by the victorious Allies. These units formed the
nucleus of the future new Lebanese national army. Following the
liberation of Lebanon from Vichy control, the combat role of Lebanese
military formations had practically ended. Nevertheless, three additional infantry
battalions were raised, and collectively with Syria a number of
special detachments were also established along with a military school
(located at the town of Hims in western Syria) which was jointly maintained and used (to
train the officer cadre) by both countries. In 1944 all Lebanese military units were separated from
their French counterparts.

Overview: Althought Saudi Arabia never actively
participated in the conflict, it did sever diplomatic relations with
Germany on 11/09/1939. In October of 1941, it did likewise with
Japan. During the war, United States elevated its own influence in the
country, especially after the petroleum Aramco consortium was granted
a licence from the royal government that permitted it to extract
petroleum on two-thirds of the kingdom's territory. In 1943 U.S.
officially established diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia and
subsequently began construction of an air base there, in vicinity of Zahran (Dhahran). On
28/02/1945 the kingdom formally declared war on Germany and Japan. Saudi Arabia
is a co-founding member of the League of Arab Countries (on 22/03/1945),
and it was admitted to the U.N. on 24/10/1945.

Armed Forces: At the time of the Second World
War, the armed forces of Saudi Arabia had changed little since the time
of the First World War. The majority of troops were camel-raiding
bedouin tribal levies, called-on in time of war or serious emergency.
These troops were very experienced at desert warfare and survival, but
their equipment was immensely outdated while their loyalty was also
at times questionable. These desert warriors were employed frequently
in the Saudi wars of aggression of the 1920's (against Hejaz and Asir)
and 1930's (against North Yemen), but they were being increasingly more
replaced by western-armed regular troops. In the 1940's, the total
number of levies ready to go to war at the king's call was ~ 15 000.
At the same time, the regulars numbered only a few thousand personnel
and performed mostly policing and other security functions. These
regular troops were much better armed than the levies and were
garrisoned all over the country at forts and major cities and towns.
The air force was in the embryonic phase of development. Since 1943
Saudi Arabia began receiving financial credits for the expansion and
modernization of its arsenal, as part of the Lend - Lease
military - economic assistance package granted by the U.S. government.
The armed forces of Saudi Arabia did not participated in WWII.

Overview: The movement for Syria's total
independence grew stronger in the 1930's; consequently, a
French - Syrian treaty of friendship and alliance was signed on
09/09/1936. The French government recognized Syrian independence but
restrained itself from the ratification of the above-mentioned treaty.
Following the French surrender in 1940, Syria was placed under Vichy
administration. The Germans began to construct military airfields on
Syrian soil with the silent approval from General Dentz (the regional French high
commissioner), with the aim of supporting a pro-Axis
coup in nearby Iraq. These airfields located at Damascus,
Palmira, and Rayak (the latter in Lebanon) were already up-and-running
by the first half of 1941. In response to these threats,
the British forces of General Wilson occupied both Lebanon and Syria
by 08/06/1941. On 28/09/1941 Syria's independence was proclaimed,
however, British and French troops remained in the country until 1946.
Syria is a co-founding member of the U.N.

Armed Forces: In late 1930's Syrian military
units numbered around 8 000 personnel; the army was made up of
seven battalions of infantry (Bataillons du Levant), two squadrons of line cavalry, 15
squadrons of light cavalry, three light mounted-mechanized desert warfare companies
(Compagnies Legeres du Desert), three
sapper companies, and a single unit of artillery. After the
defeat of France in 1940, all Syrian troops were placed under strict
Vichy control and the following year they took part in engagements against British forces that were stationed in the region.
Subsequently, after the liberation from Vichy domination in mid-1941,
all Syrian forces were placed under the jurisdiction of the Free
French Committee. The combat contribution of Syrian armed forces at
that time came to an end. Near the time of the conflict's termination Syria had a standing army composed of
nine infantry battalions, one cavalry regiment, three units of shock
troops, two artillery units, and one tank battalion. Syria and Lebanon
also jointly owned / maintained dually shared communication and
transportation units, and an officers' academy located at the town of Hims (in western Syria).

Overview: Shortly before WWII, the internal and
external policies of the Turkish government began to diverge from the
progressive course undertaken by K. Ataturk; subsequently to Ataturk's
death in 1938, under combined pressure from reactionary domestic elements and
from imperialistic powers, Turkey halted the realization of social
reforms while in foreign policy it adopted an anti-Soviet stance.
After the eruption of World War II, it announced a declaration of
neutrality, and on 19/10/1939 it signed a mutual assistance pact with
Great Britain and France. Influenced by the early war triumphs
of Nazi Germany, Turkey decided to initiate cooperation with the Axis;
on 18/06/1941 it signed a pact of friendship with Third Reich.
Subsequently, it provided considerable quantities of strategic
raw materials to support the German war effort, including 30% of
all chrome needed by Germany. Western powers fruitlessly attempted to
persuade Turkey to abandon this Axis-friendly neutrality and to join
the Allied cause. Not until 02/08/1944, did Turkey sever diplomatic
relations with Nazi Germany; it did the same with Japan on 03/01/1945.
On 01/03/1945 it formally declared war on both of these countries,
althought, it never fought against them. Turkey is a co-founding
member of U.N.

Armed Forces: In 1938 the Turkish standing army had 20 000
officers and 174 000 men. Military service lasted for three years.
In 1939 the Turkish army was administrationally
divided into three army inspectorates, nine corps, and one military
governorship; the country's armed forces were composed of 20 infantry
divisions, three brigades of mountain troops, one fortress brigade, and
five cavalry divisions (including two reserve cavalry divisions) -
altogether 132 regiments (60 infantry, six mountain troops, 21 cavalry,
eight reserve cavalry, 20 field artillery, 10 heavy artillery, and seven
fortress artillery). In early 1941 Turkey established 17 corps
headquarters, 43 divisions and three independent infantry brigades, two
divisions and one independent cavalry brigade, as well as two mechanized
divisions. The armed forces were poorly equipped; weapons
shipments from Germany, Great Britain, and U.S. did little to improve
that condition. Just before the onset of hostilities the Turkish navy
underwent a program of expansion and modernization; two submarines
were ordered for construction in Germany, two submarines and four
destroyers were ordered for construction in U.K. Lesser vessels were
also constructed in home shipyards. After Germany delivered one
submarine in 1939, the Turkish navy contained 19 naval vessels
and they included one armoured ship, one line cruiser, two light
cruisers, two torpedo-boats, four
destroyers, five submarines, and four other lesser ships (most vessels were obsolete); with a total displacement of 55 775 tonnes
(the number of naval personnel stood at 9 200). The real combat value
of the navy was insignificant. By the end of WWII, the navy had one
battle cruiser, two cruisers, two gunboats, three minesweepers, eight
destroyers, 12 submarines, three motor torpedo boats, five minelayers,
a surveying vessel, a depot ship, a fleet tug, a collier, and an oiler.
By 1940 the Turkish air force was composed of
four air regiments (each regiment contained six air companies), and had in
possession a total of 370 aircraft (it had 8 500 personnel). Thanks to British and French
shipments one more air regiment, along with five independent air
wings, was formed in 1941. Shipments of military equipment from Germany replaced the shipments
from Allied countries in the same year. Close to the end of the war,
two air force divisions were organized; they together contained
15 air wings (or 30 flights). The Turkish armed forces did not
participated in any military operations of WWII.